Weekly Roundup Episode 82: Elon Musk Buys Twitter

Welcome to another edition of Weekly Roundup!

You know one common theme about modern day society: They care too much about things not worth caring so much about. Especially when it comes to what’s going on in reality, around the world in terms of politics and such… People just put so much time on certain things that you question, why on earth are you spending more of your time and energy on something that doesn’t actually really needs your two cents on?!

The past couple days says it all: Elon Musk purchasing a social media app known as Twitter. Elon Musk is honestly one of the most fascinating billionaires in existence. Why I say that is because Elon Musk does not act like your everyday billionaire at all, in fact I would say he’s the complete opposite of one because he actually acts like a real human being. Sure he has a brilliant mind and has come up with outstanding creations that has helped make a MASSIVE difference in civilization, however looking over at his tweets, how he expresses himself on late night television (SNL), and clips from his interviews… He doesn’t act like he’s some kind of God or thinks he’s above everyone else at all, like we have normally see time in and time out from everyday rich personas.

The ole saying “He’s one of us”... That is Elon for most people, which there is a significant reason why he has such a MASSIVE following is because there is an actual connection and relatability people find themselves within Musk. Most often the wealthy simply ignore actual problems that everyday people wish they speak out on, even though they have the means and power to actually make a difference. But for rich people the reason being they don’t speak out on actual problems is because if there is nothing benefiting off of their image in terms of more wealth, more than often they stay silent on actual important issues because it doesn’t concern them or doesn’t involve profit of some sort.

With Elon… It’s a whole different story. You clearly can tell when Elon speaks out on matters that it’s thoroughly genuine and is not looking to gain selfish needs: I say that because when he does express his thoughts on matters, it is not constructed as a talk down lecture or constructed as a paragraph that resembles the likes of an advertisement we often see too much of now a days. The man is a straight up individual who tells it like it is and is unapologetic in being himself, as a human being that can actually create their own thoughts where others in today’s society struggle immensely to do so. How often do you see a person in today’s society that can actually come up with their own point of view, without the help of what the media tells them how to think?! Of course you struggled to come up with many names: It’s an ongoing problem in humanity for the last eight years, which is why human beings are becoming more and more uninteresting, you know exactly how they are or think because humanity is becoming way too predictable now a days, which is why social interaction is slowly declining amongst human beings.

I believe Elon doesn’t stay silent like most of these extremely wealthy beings, is due to the fact the man understands what it’s like to be little, powerless, and looked down upon. When you grow up with a disability as Elon has done so with Aspergers: You are heavily mistreated and looked down upon in society. There are many hurdles you have to go through in life when you have a disability, if you don’t have the right support system it feels nearly impossible to become much of anything, coming from my own experience of having two disabilities. So with Elon growing up with a disability: He’s been in that position of feeling little and powerless, so Elon simply has a mutual connection with everyday people and knows exactly what it’s like. So it feels in a way Elon knows exactly how grateful he is for everything he has in front of them, with him having so much wealth he knows he has the means to make a difference by just speaking up or putting words into action.

Elon is not only a man in which people heavily admire due to his brilliant mind and his incredible inventions, but is often admire because even with great wealth you still can be a human being at the end of the day. I admire the guy for not allowing a disability to dictate what you can not achieve in life as he is an inspiration to that community, while also staying true to yourself in world where it strongly opposes original voices to be heard.

Twitter has become a toxic platform that allows hatred and violence to be normalized on an everyday basis, which has led to an alarming uprise in depression and suicide tendencies. Along with all those things: The platform has gone off the rails in censoring people just because they don’t align with the same views the platform has, which is why you rarely ever see uniqueness along users of the platform. Elon saw this as an opportunity to make a difference to restore the likeness of Twitter, as far as a platform in which can freely speak their mind without fearing censorship, so the man bought the platform at a whopping 44 Billion.

As mentioned earlier in the beginning of this discussion: These past couple days, news outlets and Twitter Folks are losing their marbles over Elon buying the company. Highlighting a great amount of ignorance in terms of “Race”, but more so freaking out about Elon allowing users to be open to speak freely because heaven forbid people can actually form a real point of view on their own, than copying and pasting views off a top trend.

My biggest take away really comes down to this: Everyone that wasted so much time and energy crying about a man acquiring a social media platform, could’ve actually been used towards actual real problems going on in the country. I can pin point about hundreds of real problems worth giving time and energy too, including what goes on an everyday basis in New York and Chicago where people are terrified to come out of their houses and go onto the streets… Yet you’re going to tell me a man acquiring a social media platform is worth caring so deeply about, that it’s going to make an impact on your life?! This should’ve been cared about for a couple seconds and already moved on with your life, even if you like him or not who CARES! All this time and energy that could’ve spent on actual problems yet you waste it on a man acquiring Twitter… All of you need to go back to Church, this is not normal healthy behavior.

Well I hope Elon finds a great amount of success and satisfaction with his new business acquisition, hopefully he does what he intends to do with the app. As far as me coming back to the platform: I intend to stay far away like I have been doing so, staying away from Twitter Folks is better for the mind, heart, and soul. I agree with Elon: A healthy form of Free Speech is to be perfectly ok with a disagreement another person has… I can still be cool with anyone who doesn’t think Boyhood is the most overrated Oscar nominated film in existence, at the end of the day we’re all different and should be ok with being different. Truth be told: If we all think the same, life would be pretty damn boring, so lighten up and enjoy each other regardless of differences. On that note: Let’s talk about movies!

Mothering Sunday Grade: D+

I know I viewed Mothering Sunday in a theatrical setting… But after watching this film over a few weeks ago, I struggled immensely to get myself to give it a full length review, due to the fact how extremely dull the film was.

Mothering Sunday I would say I give it a couple positives as far as costume design was solid and the star studded cast did a pretty good job all around.

The main issue with Mothering Sunday is pacing, but more so narrative speaking as this film was painfully boring to sit through. How so painfully boring?! Well let’s just say I kept repeating out loud multiple moments saying “This is so fucking boring”, as well as trying to convince myself to keep watching… It was such a brutal experience and typically I enjoy these slow paced drama films. One main issue to point out with Mothering Sunday is the film does attempt in creating engaging conflict a couple times, to where the story can become a bit interesting. However all those moments of potential conflict… Goes absolutely nowhere, as the film continues it’s trend of pure boredom. Such a waste of talented cast indeed.

Overall, Mothering Sunday t’was crap. I don’t recommend this film, I would suggest taking on knitting than sitting through this film.

The Contractor Grade: C

Here’s another film I watched a few weeks ago along with Mothering Sunday, that I just couldn’t get myself to give it a full length review. At least The Contractor was a little more entertaining than Mothering Sunday, however I question why this film was granted a theatrical release to begin with?!

The Contractor introduces an intriguing premise, where a vet James Harper (Chris Pine) gets discharged from the military, as he’s left struggling to make ends meets and providing for his family since he won’t be given any benefits since being discharged. After all James has done so much for his service, it seems completely unfair that they basically ditched him to the curb without being awarded any compensation, it’s not like he betrayed his country he basically took a drug to help deal with the pain he’s dealing with in his body caused by his time in the service.

So it brings up a neat conversation as a starter point in this film, as James has to do illegal activity which ends up putting him in a very terrible position, where not only his life is in danger but the work he’s doing is causing more harm than good. While I do believe the beginning does have a nice set up, the film unfortunately shifts into a direction in which can be described as a straight to streaming action film. The film just suddenly becomes this typical mediocre action film that you’ve seen so many damn times over and over again, that it became less interesting as time went by.

There were also multiple issues in terms of film making and editing, where it just looks pretty sloppy especially some action sequences… Like I was baffled by how poorly these action sequences looked. The film is by no means a bad film, I would say it at least gives a certain audience what they’re looking for when they seek out to a film like this one. However: I’m pretty surprised this somehow made it’s way to a theatrical setting, as the quality level is more suitable to a streaming platform.

Overall, The Contractor was just ok. I would wait for this film for rental, nothing special by any means.

Alice Grade: C

Do you recall a terrible horror film from 2020 known as Antebellum?! Well in 2022 we practically get almost the exact same kind of film with Alice, only this time it’s a significant improvement than that film for sure.

Alice is based on true story, involving a slave in the Antebellum South by the name of Alice (Keke Palmer) escaping her plantation only to find out a shocking discovery that slavery was no longer a thing. She’s living in the 60’s or 70’s I believe, so Slavery has been LONG GONE as the story then turns itself into a quick revenge story.

I felt Alice was at least tolerable for the most part. Unlike Antebellum: At least this film has an actual constructed narrative, where you see a starting point and an ending point to where it connects thoroughly. I found the whole revenge aspect to be quite satisfying, it’s honestly the best part of this entire film.

Alice unfortunately suffers from pacing issues, as the film doesn’t really have that much energy to it. You can also say several sequences felt too repetitive from better films before, as you grown tired to seeing the exact same sequences taken place. I would also say Keke Palmer’s performance was meh for the most part, not only was her screaming sequences unintentionally hilarious but one couldn’t buy her transitioning into this bad ass chick influenced by the film Coffy.

Overall, Alice was just ok. I give this a watch on rental, it’s tolerable for the most part.

White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch Grade: C+

Back in 2016 I applied for a job at Abercrombie as I was hoping to work with my friend Jade over at Caesars Palace. I enjoy the clothing brand and enjoyed wearing their clothes as a teenager, heck my instagram name has Abercrombie in it, so yeah I liked Abercrombie and wanted to work there. I went on an interview, as I would say it went fairly well. When I called back the store following up if I got the job or not… They abruptly hanged up on me.

Then about a couple weeks later I got a call to do the same exact interview over again, even though I already went on the interview so at that point I just didn’t care about getting the job as I wanted to get this process over with. When the woman interviewed me and asked what my biggest accomplish was, as I answered with my High School biography novel I wrote that helped inspired hundreds of lives and helped saved a couple lives along with the process, the woman told me “Why are you trying to work here for?”.... I guess it was never meant to be, however that woman did inspire me to go forward with writing a novel, so I guess it wasn’t a total waste of time.

White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch felt like a standard Netflix documentary film you’ve seen time in and time out again. The highlight of this film was the substance, as the film taught me a fair amount of information I did not know about the brand and those whom ran the brand. Turns out the brand was helmed by pretty awful individuals, whom were purely nasty whether it be their involvement with sexual assault or discriminating others by race, but having mannerisms that can be described as high school teenage girl. I mean the standards of what they wanted out of an employee in terms if they look cool or not… I couldn’t believe the ridiculous behavior of a grown adult man. The film does a suitable job in terms of showcasing the whole history of the company, so the viewer at least learns a fair amount of information while watching it.

Film making wise this looked cheap and looked pretty much like every other Netflix documentary we’ve seen before in the past. But the thing that irks me about this documentary and I know irks many other viewers, is how the film quickly turns into a advertisement of the brand. Like you see so many speakers talking trash about the brand and it’s awful history… But by the end of the film, it then all of a sudden turns into an advertisement for Abercrombie and Fitch. “Like yeah Abercrombie is so trash and has had a terrible past… BUT THE NEW ABERCOMBIE IS SO MUCH BETTER, BUY OUR CLOTHES!!!!” ?!?! It felt completely hypocritical and sinister if you ask me.

Overall, White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch was average. I recommend checking this film out, can be found on Netflix. Now since Abercrombie is affiliated with Hollister, does this make me regret making a smash hit banger Hollister Girl?! Nah, it’s a song about a dude that goes into a Hollister store, sees a pretty girl that works there, as he day dreams what a life would be like if he went up and asked her out… I don’t think I’m going to lose any sleep at night.

Waterman Grade: B-

Duke was that DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!

Waterman t’was a fairly engaging documentary, about an underrated olympic athlete coming from Hawaii. Sure in Hawaii he’s far from underrated as he’s an icon but more so a hero in Hawaii, but when it comes to the sports world… This is my first time hearing about Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, as it’s a crime against humanity because this man was not only a terrific athlete but more so a terrific human being. You can learn a lot of great values and principles from hearing about this individual, especially during the harsh times he went through, as he remained to stay full of love and humbleness… What an awesome human being, it’s a damn shame he’s not talked of more often.

Duke’s life NEEDED to be told, as not only for what he’s done for the sport of swimming and surfing especially, but the man truly lived a life that can be described as a superhero. The things this man was abled to accomplished and his heroic deeds he’s done in the water… Now that’s a superhero in my book, the way he goes about himself especially is truly remarkable and speaks volumes to what a man is. I also felt Jason Momoa did a really good job within his narration, gave this film the energy it needed.

Main issue with this film is style wise, as the visuals and how the film was made can be described as a television special. It also does many cut to black sequences within each segment that can be annoying some, this documentary felt very similar towards Show me the Father in terms of style and most certainly substance as well.

Overall, Waterman was a fairy decent documentary. I recommend checking this one out, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku is worth learning about especially. -Mitch Smietana